“Human Resources” Shouldn’t Be This Literal: A PMMM/ProjectMoon Quest

Chapter 74 - Invitation

Time crashes around you. The rushing sands grind against your flesh, trying to drag you back. You can't go; not yet. It's unlikely your shell would reform, so it's likely that the world will end up exposed to your presence again if you allow yourself to be pulled along. Fortunately, your strength is not yet degraded enough to not give you a choice in the matter. You stand against the sweeping tide even as your world cracks and fractures. Nothing There writhes beneath your grip as you tear them open, incomprehensibly ancient limbs your clips and scalpels with which you dig through the Abnormality's body. Your body cracks open, spilling chemical slurry onto the sterile earth. It doesn't matter. You're almost done. As long as you can hold it together for a moment longer-

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You are adrift.

It seems the strain was too much for you. Your transformation is still incomplete. Abnormalities are not meant to be half-formed as you still are, not bound to a single shape. Given that instability, it's no wonder everything fell apart when more outside influences were introduced. You can still feel the constant pull of time around you, dragging you towards the desired moment even now. Homura's Magic, perhaps? If it is her, then that's a good sign. Magic isn't supposed to last once its user dies, so she must be okay. You don't see Nothing There, so they've probably already been taken back. At least you got what you needed first.

Kyoko's Soul Gem is present, somewhere. The others, too, and still within your reach. Not that you're quite sure where you are right now, so how comforting that is is still up in the air. If anything, it reminds you of when you were dead. Almost dead? Abnormalities aren't supposed to do that, but you're already an exception. Death might very well be a possibility for you. That said, you don't think that you've actually died. This would be a very underwhelming hell, and the kids probably wouldn't be here with you.

So, what to do? You've delayed Homura's Magic, but with how weakened you are now that's only a temporary measure. Once the time comes, you'll be dragged back to Mitakihara. Unless you can fix your shell by then, that'll be that. You know your presence did something last time, and you're not eager to repeat it. There's just one problem.

You can't do anything.

You spent the last of your energy digging out Kyoko's Soul Gem. You simply don't have the strength left to pull together another seal, and even if you did have that strength you're not completely sure how you made the first one. On the other hand, staying like this really isn't an option. How irritating. You had hoped to leave these kinds of no-win scenarios behind you when you left the Facility.

Heh.

"Left the Facility".

If you left, why does everything feel the same?

The Corporation was a terrible place, and it was best for everyone to leave. To go out into the world and live their lives. But you know what the City is like. Your colleagues ended up under Angela's command, fulfilling whatever goal she was seeking. The only person who found somewhere "better" was you, and you had been the person you cared least about saving.

Even in Mitakihara, your life isn't much different than it was before. You have people you care about that you need to guide and protect. You are responsible for keeping those around you psychologically stable. There are monsters that must be fought for the protection of humanity. It's all part of a scheme to extract energy from humanity in the name of some higher purpose. What really changed?

And so you drift further, through the void.

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You open your eyes to a plain grey ceiling above you. You're lying on an operating table in a small room, well-illuminated despite the lack of any visible lighting. At your side are two carts of operating tools, neither of which seem to have been used or even touched. A nearby window reveals a rolling expanse of blue-green clouds with the sun hanging just barely above the horizon. Not the outside though, judging by the second window showing a lush jungle in the dead of night. Not pictures, cameras maybe? Portals? Pocket dimensions? There are people rich enough to use that sort of technology for fancy art installations.

The Soul Gems are placed carefully on the table to the side of you. All quiet, all safe. You breathe a sigh of relief. If everything had ended up being for nothing…. well, it would have been deeply frustrating.

You pause. Something about that feels… different.

Your body is human. Whether you created a shell again and simply weren't conscious of it, like last time, or somebody else is responsible, you're not entirely certain. While you wouldn't even consider the latter option normally, things have clearly gone off the rails. Homura's Magic still claws at you, assuring you that she is still alive. There's maybe half an hour left before it takes effect. You'll just have to believe in your kids until the remaining time runs out.

You stand up, appreciating the lack of adjustment time required to go from six legs to two. Not everyone from the City is blessed with such a smooth transition between bodies. Before you can do much more, the door opens.

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Which voice greets you?

[] "Uh, Angela? I think they're awake. Just a hunch."
[] "Oh. I will admit, I was expecting that to take longer."

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Big Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 3/3
Punishing Bird's Sapling - Observation Level 2/2
Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3